The number of heartbeats of my heart
have already been counted and set by God.

“GOD IS NOT TRYING TO KILL US.”

When affliction comes in the life of a believer, many a man concludes that it must be some sort of punishment or discipline for hidden sins.
When things seem to go from bad to worse the critics and judges of others feel like they were right all along.

Almost always their counsel aims to have you confess and repent in order to be healed.

Fortunately there is a precedent in scripture in the life of Job who did not suffer because of his sins but for higher reasons and with the full knowledge of God.

A believer in affliction does not need friends such as those of Job.
When sickness comes it is not necessarily a sign of the displeasure of God but preparation for greater tasks separated for the few in whom he has worked out his salvation and are ready to be entrusted with unique missions as for the “special forces”.

While you laid flat sick in your bed and unable to cope with your “Hamster like routine within the cage and the wheel” step aside out of your cage and wheel in you imagination and by faith think of your self as a “navy seal” or a chipmunk.

Think of yourself as Job, “God’s blue eye boy.”
It is time to make God proud of you. It hurts a little but you can scratch where it hurts with a piece of clay. At the end of the day you can fight a little with the father as long as you know in your heart that you are actually only fighting with God for “special attention.”

Nights will be long, but hope will be renewed every morning.
By personal observation and experience I have found out that suffering saints are “Spoiled brats of God and cry babies.”

That lesson you do not learn by sitting down in a classroom but by personal experience that makes witness out of a “testifying saint.”
God is not trying to kill you, but the contrary is true, he is teaching you what real life and living in Jesus means.

It is not your doctor that is keeping you alive but God who is Life is allowing you to tiptoe on the shores of eternal life.
“Comfort ye my people,” says the Lord.
Should God wanted to kill you, he would not have given life in his Son. You have already died in Jesus and resurrected along with Jesus. Life reigns in your mortal bodies. Therefore:
Rejoice in Hope,
Patient in Affliction, and
Faithful in prayer.

In the midst of my weakness and affliction our God wants me to be strong and he comforts me saying that he is strong in my weakness.
This strength has nothing to do with muscles but an internal fortitude that is absent in those who are strong in the flesh like those who live to pump Iron in gymnasiums in pursue of huge biceps, massive pectoral, bull’s necks, proudly showing, ”His six pack” abdominal muscles that seem to look at the rest as if saying “Look at me.”

Once upon a time I heard one from the pulpit say, “Look at me” “I love to workout,” “I never pass the opportunity to work out,” “Look at me” he said it three times as he stepped at one side of the pulpit and making a motion with both hands from top to bottom said one more time, “Look at me.”

He proved his point effectively and convincingly by showing his slender well-fit body that made me feel chubby, overweight and old.

The only problem of asking people to look at you is that you will turn the eyes of people toward you and they will take a good long look and they might even come closer to take a look and find out that your mouth wash is not working or even notice your arm pits wet from the last bout of exercises you could not pass on the way to the pulpit.

When you asked people to look at you, you must be prepared to be looked at with the eyes of people who have a mouth ready to speak from what they have seen and heard.
I listened and look at this man in the pulpit who I believe in sincerity wanted people to be healthy and strong as fit as he is physically.

Since I could not be as slender and as fit as my young friend, my selective listening and with the help of old age and defensive posture I REMEMBERED ANOTHER TIME AND ANOTHER VOICE in the mountain of transfiguration when God the Father himself said. “Look at my Son.” “This is my son, whom I love, I him, I am well please.” “Listen to Him.”

Since I cannot imagine Jesus never pumping iron and working out and doing setups or pushups I thought long and hard and I have come to believe Jesus to be perfectly fit as no other human being. You have to be in an extraordinary shape to fast forty days and forty nights in a wilderness and not only survive but to defeat “the defiant bully of the ages and the undefeated champion of the dark world“ the Goliath Satan himself.

Now we are prepared to conclude that it is one thing to be strong in the flesh and it is another thing to be strong in the strength of the Lord.

Since my preacher friend stepped aside from his pulpit to challenge me to “Look at him.” I did look at him and I also looked at myself and determined not to pass an opportunity to workout my salvation in fear and trembling by prayer, meditation, proclamation, pen and persuasion just in case people might be “Looking at me.”

Unbeknownst to me I might be saying in my own way “Look at me.”

If so, please forgive me. I must be saying I am deeply interested in the spiritual health and fitness of my family and friends. If you must look at me, then please, “Look at Jesus in me, the hope of glory.” Look unto Jesus. Listen to him!! If you must listen to me, I beg you to only listen the echo of his voice that you know so well.

BE STRONG IN THE POWER OF THE LORD.

When you are weak is when you are strong in the Lord because he only is strong in the weak. God is not trying to kill you, but he surely is trying to make you weak so he can be strong in you as the hope of glory. Let us look to Jesus together and him alone.

Gerry Gutierrez.

Last night was the First Prayer where Aaliyah said Jesus and Amen to my leading her in prayer. I am so happy to teach her to pray. My prayer partners are Simeon, Katherin, Deborah and Aaliyah.